Apparatus for concentrating-ores



'R. LUCKENBACH.

APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING ORES'.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-27.1918.

1370,601. Patented Mar. 8,1921.

" i i UNITED: 1 SITAITES NEVADA.

PATENT oFFIcef' BOYER nucxmmacm'or PHILADELPHIA,-PENNSYLVANIA, assienon To Lucian i BACK rnocnssns, me), or SAN rnnnorsoo, CALIFORNIA, a CORPORATION or ArPAnArrUs non ooNcENrRArme ORES.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROYERLUCKENBACI-I, a

. citizen of the United States, "and a resident separately.

of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania,' have invented a c certain new and useful Apparatus for Con-' centrating Ores, of which the following is i a specification. 3 A

The invention relates to the concentration of ores by a combined gravity separation and contact process wherein the heavier particles of the pulp comprising mineral values including free metals and chemical compounds of metals are separated from the c section of an-apparatus embodying this in lighter particles by gravity and the lighter values are separated from the water and gangue of the pulp by adhering to surfaces having a. strong preferential aflinity for minerals and which will repel the water and gangue which is wetted by the water; i

It is well known that metals and heavy mineral substances may be separated from lighter bodies by gravity. In ore concentration this is accomplished by treating finely divided ore with water to form a pulp, agitating the pulp to separate the mineral from the gangue and allowing the latter to float off with the water. It is also The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus wherein a high percentage of 'mineral values may be obtained and wherein the percentage of siliciousgangue recovered with the values w1ll be cons derably reduced,

thus producing a recovery practically free of earthy substances. 7 o

Other ob 'ects of the invention will appear in the following specification and accom panying drawings considered together or By means of the present invention me separated from the earthy gangue. with which they are associated in nature, and likewise certain non-metallic minerals such as graphite and sulfur may be concentrated. ,In addition to separating the mineral values 1 from ores havinga fiinty or rocky gangue, the invention may be utilized in connection with free metals found placer or surface mining.

The invention maybe carried out in con- Spec ificati on of Letters Patent.

Vention. y

Fig. '21s a transverse section ofthe same "Fig. '5.

use, as well as with other mineral substances "which will not be; acted on by the mineral "selective materials employed such processes.

The accompanying drawings forming I i I Patented Mar. 8, 1921. yApli cati on ma august 27, 1918. Serial No. 251,630.

by the oil fiotation methods at present in part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention. In the drawings like parts in allv of the several figures are designated by similar reference characters.

In thedrawings- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a, detail sectional-view of a modification. I

Fig. 4 1s a similar v ew of another modifi line 55 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a section! on the line 6 of Figs. 7 and8 are an end and sideelevation respectlvely' of a further modification."

5 is a transverse section of a further I modification, the section being taken on the y In carrying out the invention a tank or casing 1 is provided. -The tank comprises a hopper shaped bottom 2 having at its lower extremity a trough 3 having a discharge opening 4 at one end.

Extending longitudinally through the trough 3 is a shaft 3 carrying stirring arms 3. The armsare securedjto the shaft in spiral arrangement so that material in the troughmay be conveyed from they inlet end to the outlet end of the tank." The arms 3 are preferably arranged as shown 'inFig. 3.

with side wings 3 and end wings 3 By this arrangement the arms in addition to passing the material along the trough will also carryit up and shower it down toward the bottom of the trough thus thoroughly agitating the material. The arms 3 are preferably so arranged that the shaft may be driven at a relatively high speed to thoroughly agitate the material but the feed I through the trough will be slow. The shaft 3" may be driven in any manner as by means of a pulley 3.

The tankis provided at the'end e 'with a earthy or rocky gangue.

hopper 6 by means of which. ore pulp delivered to the tank. A diaphragm T is arranged transversely across the tank near the'inlet end and forms a vestibule 8 for receiving the pulp from the hopper (3. The diaphragm is provided with an opening 9 in axial alinement with the trough 3.

Extending from the diaphragm 7 to the outlet end 10 of the tank and located. above the trough 3, is a confined air chamber Til, the sides of which extend into the hopper botton and to within a short distance of the trough. 'A pipe or conduit 12 extends longitudinally through the air chamber and. is provided with branches 13 each terminating in a sprayer 14. The sprayers are an ranged over the center of the trough and are adapted to direct water from the pipe 12 in diverging streams into the trough.

Arranged on each side of the air chanr her is a screen comprising two foramiiiauzs plates 14 and 15 between which is packed a mattress-like filling 16 of matted or tangled-filamentous material. The matted material is not tightly packed in a solid mass between the plates 14 and .15 but so dis .posed that numerous tortuous passages are produced which will permit the transport.- through the mats of fluids andv finely divided solid matter in suspension therein.

Extending along each'side of the tank above the mats 16 is a launder 17 and each launder discharges the material which has passed through the mats upon a traveling belt 18.

The material of which the mats 16 are composed and the surfaces of the belts 18 are coated with a material having a strongpreferential aflinity for minerals and certain of their chemical compounds, and which is of such a nature as to repel water and Associated with each belt is a scraper 1.9 for the purpose of removing the coating from the belt and depositing it in a receptacle 2015mm which it may be removed and the mineral values separated from the selective material in any desired manner. Tanks 21 containing selective material are arranged in proximity to the belts and means, such as rollers 22, are provided to recoat the belts.

Such material as will not adhere to the belts as well as such minerals have not come in contact with the coating are discharged from the belts into hoppers 23, each containing a mat similar in all respects to the mats 14 and 15. From the hoppers 23 the tailings are discharged into chutes 24 by which they will be carried to the dump or the tailings may be directed to other hoppers similar to 23 until all of the mineral values are recovered.

Located at the discharge end of the tank '1 is a sump 4', the upper edge of which is on a level with the plate 14. A pump 4" raises the material from the sump and discharges it into a tank 1 similar in all respects to the tank 1 and provided with a water inlet, belts and straining hoppers, in which the operations are repeated.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 3 the conveyor shaft is tubular and the water for use in the apparatus, instead of being brought in above the conveyer as in Figs. 1. and 2 is discharged from the hollow shaft 25 through perforations 26.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4 an m'dinary spiral conveyer 26 is illustrated and the water from a pipe 27 is directed into a the bottom of the trough through perforations 28.

In Figs. 5 and 6 is shown a form of apparatus in which the tank 1 is similar to that described except that the mechanical conveyer is omitted and the pulp is transported, through the tank by hydraulic action. In the modification the trough 29 is rectangular in crosssection, and the bottom thereof is arranged in a series of wave-like undulations. The branches 30 from the pipe 12 are provided with cross heads 31. at their lower extremities. The cross heads are provided with perforations 32 opening toward the outlet 4. of the tank and so positioned relatively to the floor of the trough that water discharged from them will force material on the floor toward the outlet and will. agitate lighter materials and force them upward. From the outlet 4 the material will fall into a boot 4 from which it may be raised. by an elevator 4 and deposited on a. belt alike in all respects to the belts 1.8.

In the modification shown in Figs. 7 and R is illustrated a form of the device in which the process of the invention may be carried out without the use oi mechanical power. The tank 1" is in all respects alike to that shown in Figs. 5 and 6 except that instead of the sump 4 a chute 34 is provided. The

launders 17 discharge into hoppers 23 as in F 2 and these hoppers discharge into hoppers 35. The material discharged from the chute 3.4.- is received in a tank 1 situated on a lower level than the tank 1 and wherein the operation is the same as in tank 1*.

The operation is as follows The pulp, formed of finely divided ore and water, is admitted through the hopper 6 and falls into the trough 3 and is passed therethrough by the conveyer. Water under pressure is admitted through the conduit 12 and sprayed down upon the conveyer and the pulp. The shaft 3 is rotated at a high speed and the pulp is thoroughly agitated. The

solid particles in the pulp are raised by the blades 3 and the heavier particles are slowly passed from the vestibule 8 to the outlet 4.

The water from the sprays will assist in the agitation and thoroughly separate the lighter from the heavier solid matter. The

agitation will cause the fine metallic particles and the gangue to fioatand astlie pulp rises it will be forced througli;the mats 16 andll' and the mineral values will adhere to the mineral -select1ve COtltlIlg on the entangled material of which the matsare com: posed.

the. coating has no aitinity, will pass freely through the mats and will be discharged through the launders 17. The air in the air The water and gangue,'ior which chamber 11 will exert a steady pressure on the Surface of the pulp withinthe chamber and assistin forcing the'pulp through the mats. W

The discharge from theilaunders will be -arried away by the belts 18 and mineral] values contained therein will adhere to the coating and be recovered. The belts will discharge'into the hoppers 23 where any re maining values will be retained. v r v When themats in the tank and hoppers I have taken up all of the mineral of which they are capable, as evidenced by the pres ence of an abnormal recovery on the belts 18 the mats may be recoated by pouring'the liquid" selective compound into them and when the interstices in themats are filled by successive layers of the compound and mineralvalues to-cause stoppage of the flow through them the mats may beremoved and new ones substituted without serious delay inthe operation. I y

I The heavy material escaping from the out "let 4 will fall into the sump a. The water :will' rise to the height of the" launders and, be discharged. The material, consisting of heavy minerals and some gangue, in the sump .will be raised by the pump 43 and discharged into the second tank l 'where the operation will berepeatedu If desired, untreated pulp,

maybe'admittedto the tank l te supple ment the supplyfrom the sump.

The coating and the adhering values may be removed from the material of the mats by a suitable solvent or by heat. When the mats are composed. of combustible material such as"excelsior they, together with the compound, maybe burned andthe minerals recovered.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 3. and

the operation is substantially the same as above but the water being introduced below the mass of the pulp will give a more thOl-.

ough agitation.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the solid matter in thepulp is fed through the tank by the force of the water alone whereby economy of operation is secured.

,The embodiment of the invention illus trated in F igs. 7 and 8 is one in which hydraulic action and gravity only are em ployed to move the material through the system in carrying out the process. The bottom of the trough is preferably arranged and the water directed thereto as in Figs. 5- undo although it will be understood that the Water maybe admitted as in Figs. 301, 4t but With the openings 2601 28 inclined toward the outlet in order that thewater may be d1- rected in that direction. The invention is particularly eiiicient where n'iineral; values in extremely fine form are present. In the Working of gold, for example, the concentrator .jfrequently enco'un-.

tors line gold, or greasy gold, or tabular gold, or flour gold, which escapes on the surface of the water and they have never been able to overcome that flotation tendency. 'Even the" cyanid-plant operator has often; encountered: a high-grade floating scum which he never could entirelyabolish.

lVhen ore is pulverizcdso that it may pass througlian 80 mesh screen, of 1t 18 line enough to pass a screen of more than 100 mesh; W hen-ground to 60,50% is over lOO. It is this extremely line ore, includinggangue float, not only in'the amalgamation and cyanidprocesscs but theiine flour-like gangue will. float upon the water oi the 011 flotation process and be recovered, with the concentrates- The rocky constituent of the ore being naturally more friable than the mineral will predominate iii-the flour-like ore and by the processoi the present invention such gangue will'iloat through the interstices in the mat. hile'the minerals entrained therewith will adhere to thecoating on the matted material.

as well as valucs,which has a tendency toa V i Instead of introducing ore pulp into the tanl: the finely divided ore in a dry, state may introduced and the pulp may be formed in the tank by mixing the water from the conduit iQwith the ore.

In accordance with the'provisiousxof the patent'statutes, the principle of the invention is described together'with the appara 'tus which is now. considered to representthe bestembodiment thereof; but it is (lQSll'Gd'l'O have it understood thatthe apparatus shown tion may be carried out in other ways.

Having now descr bed the invent on what is claimed as new and desired to be. secured .by Letters Patent of the United States is An apparatus for concentrating ore,

.is merely illustrative and that the invenwhich comprises a receptacle for the recepelements.

3. An apparatus for concentrating ore, which comprises a receptacle for the reception of ore pulp, means for agitating the pulp whereby the heavier particles of the ore are separated from the lighter particles by avity, means for transporting the heavier particles through the receptacle, a screen, and means for exerting air pressure on a portion of the surface of the pulp for forcing the pulp through the screen whereby the mineral values in the lighter particles of the ore will be intercepted and separated from the water and gangue of the pulp.

4. An' apparatus for concentrating ore, which comprises a receptacle for the reeep tion of ore pulp, means for agitating the pulp whereby the heavier particles of the ore are separated from the lighter particles by gravity, a conveyer for transporting the heavier particles through the receptacle, a screen, and an air chamber in communication with the pulp whereby air pressure will be applied to the pulp for forcing the pulp through the screen whereby the mineral val,- ues in the li hter particles of the ore will be intercepte and separated from the water and gangue of the pulp.

5. An apparatus for concentrating ore, which comprises a receptacle for the reception of ore pulp, means for agitating the pulp whereby the heavier particles of the ore are separated from the lighter particles by gravity, a screen, an air chamber within which air is compressed by the pulp for forcing the pulp through the screen whereby the mineral values in the lighter particles of the ore will be intercepted and separated from the water and gangue of the pulp, and

means for removing the water and gangue from the receptacle.

6. An apparatus for concentrating ore, which comprises a receptacle, means for introducing finely divided ore into the receptacle, means for adding a fluid to the ore whereby the heavier ore particles will be separated from the lighter ore particles by gravity, means for removing the heavier particles from the receptacle, a screen comprising lilamentous elements coated with a material to which mineral values will adhere, an air chamber extending the entire length of the receptacle, the walls of said chamber extending below the surface of the pulp whereby the air within the chamber will force mineral values in the floating ore through said screen whereby values will adhere to the material, and means for discharging the water and gangue from the receptacle.

7. An apparatus for concentrating ore, which comprises a receptacle, means for introducing finely divided ore into the receptacle, means for adding water to the ore and means for agitating the pulp thus formed whereby the heavier ore particles will be separated from the lighter ore particles and the water by gravity, means for removing the heavier particles from the lighter by gravity, there being an air chamber within the receptacle and extending from end to end thereof, a screen of material to which mineral particles will adhere and to which water and gangue will not adhere on each side of the air chamber and interposed between the air chamber and the walls of the receptacle, the upper surfaces of the screens being open to atmospheric pressure, the walls of the air chamber extending below the surface of the pulp whereby air compressed in the chamber will act to force the water and particles floating therein upward through the screens.

This specification signed and witnessed this 5th day of July, 1918.

ROYER LUCKENBACH.

Witnesses JAMES F. COLEMAN, A. E. RENTON. 

